Burning management mediates the coexistence of plant species in a semi-natural grassland

Abstract

Miscanthus sinensis-dominated semi-natural grassland is one component of a typical Satoyama landscape. M. sinensis most notably forms ring patches as a result of human management, which includes the removal of aboveground stems by burning. In this study, I hypothesized that M. sinensis aids the coexistence of several plant species under managed conditions because of its notable ring patches. To test this hypothesis I monitored the richness of plant species inside and outside M. sinensis ring patches for 5 years, which included one non-managed year, and compared richness between managed and non-managed years. Results showed that species richness was higher inside than outside patches in all cases, but that this effect was more prominent in managed years than in the non-managed year. Consequently, human management is promoting the coexistence of plant species in M. sinensis-dominated semi-natural grassland. Human management will likely play an important role in conserving plant species diversity in semi-natural grasslands by changing relationships among plants.